Got fear? Get Shrunks.

The Shrunks is a new line of toys designed to help kids address their nighttime fears. The company takes an interesting approach to this, with a line of soft plush toys that represent the most common kids’ fears and also a line of tools to help kids feel more secure at night.

The tools include a bullhorn and whistle for calling mom and dad, a flashlight to investigate strange noises and shadows, a magnifying glass to get a closer look, and a spray-mister that neutralizes scary things (and comes preloaded with Lavender-scented water). The design of these things is distinctly kid-friendly – chunky and appealing for small hands. Whether or not I’d want to give my 3-year old a bullhorn or a whistle with the express purpose of waking me and my husband in the dead of the night is highly debatable, but according to the inventor, just knowing that we’ll hear her is enough to keep her asleep.

The line of plush toys is very cute. The materials are ultrasoft, and the unconventional shapes make them easy to find in the dark. I brought home a Pillowman for my 3-year old, and she bought into the idea right away. She loved that she had a friend in her bed who was there to keep her safe in the dark. For three nights she slept soundly in her room, which may be a new record for her in recent months, and then last night she was back in our bed again. I’ll remind her about Mr. Pillowman and we’ll see how things go tonight.

The last part of their product line is a little odd, but I appreciate their enterprising spirit. They’ve come out with two inflatable beds for kids, a simple toddler bed and a kid-size bed that inflates to include a headboard and sideboard with built in shelves for keeping essentials close at hand.  Both of these have a unique feature – they cut the mattress into the border of the bed, so that sheets can actually be tucked in properly around the child. Random, but useful.

The Shrunks will be available later this year. Their website is scheduled to launch on March 1.

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